Juergen Strobel wrote:

> Debian users who use aptitude to install ruby opt to let Debian handle
> the installation, why do they care where all the files live as long as
> it works? And if it doesn't work, I complain via Debain Bug
> Tracking. And I still can install gem and tradidtional gems in
> addition.
>
> Apt/dpkg can install many files of different packages into the same
> directory because you can use apt, dpkg to find and deinstall these
> files again, and this is the preferred way over just deleting
> them. Don't worry, let Debian handle it. It's a feature.
>
> If you are a control freak and really need to do your own ruby
> install, noone prevents you from it even on Debian. I myself
> contemplated this, but settled on apt + a few gems happily.

Maybe I am misunderstood. Its not that it doesn't function. Rather that
it mispreresents the ruby distributon --specifically it violates
versioning policies. So while it's not a problem for requiring files,
it is one for programmed introspection. I have a script that searches
that ruby locatotins to know what libraries are present. I should be
able to distinguish bettween the ruby distribution (where everything is
tied to it's version 1.8+ presently) and all others libs which have
their own versions. Debian's ploicy of installing 3rd party ruby
packages directly in with the Ruby distibutition is therefore a poor
choice of design.

Again, usr/ and /usr/local should be reflections of one another.

T.